Three days of top-notch sports, packed stands, and festival atmosphere right in the heart of Basel's old town: Once again, the OBI Beach Tour thrilled on the Barfüsserplatz. From Friday onwards, the stands were buzzing with excitement. On the final Sunday, the arena was bursting at the seams. The crowd provided loud support, clapping along and showcasing genuine beach volleyball excitement, transforming the center court into a unique setting.
Final thriller in front of a home crowd
The men's tournament lived up to the high expectations set by the top-class field of participants. The top-seeded Leo Dillier and Luc Emanuel Flückiger lived up to their favorites' role and secured the tournament triumph.
In the final, they faced the Basel duo Florian Breer and Mathis Kälin, who had previously prevailed in a dramatic semifinal against the Austrian wildcard team Laurenz Leitner / Moritz Kindl in three sets (21:16, 23:25, 15:13).
A high-class final unfolded in front of the home crowd. Dillier and Flückiger held their nerve in an intense duel, securing a win with 21:18 and 28:26. Particularly the second set turned into a real thriller, with both teams fending off numerous set balls.
The match for third place also provided strong entertainment. Basel's Yves Haussener, alongside Simon Hagenbuch, secured the third spot with a clear two-set victory over the Austrian duo Leitner/Kindl, delighting the local fans with a podium finish.
Basel's Muriel Bossart and Linda Abbühl win convincingly
The women's tournament also offered numerous exciting encounters. The tournament turned out to be particularly emotional for Jasmine Wandeler, who celebrated a strong comeback with Livia Stolz after about eleven months of injury break. On Saturday, the duo secured a spot in the semifinals in a spectacular three-set match against Eugster/Gähwiler.
On the final day, Wandeler/Stolz had to forfeit due to illness and couldn't compete in both the semifinals and the third-place match. As a result, the top-seeded duo Muriel Bossart and Linda Abbühl advanced straight to the final.
In the final, they met Zoé Flückiger and Nadine Demierre, who had defeated the surprise team Elena Csontos and Fanny Deecke in the semifinals.
Bossart and Abbühl showcased their entire class in the final, winning convincingly with 21:10 and 21:17. Particularly pleasing from Basel’s perspective: Muriel Bossart from Riehen celebrated the tournament victory with Linda Abbühl in front of the home crowd.
One of the weekend's finest stories was written by Elena Csontos and Fanny Deecke from the Basel region. The 17-year-old Csontos and 18-year-old Deecke contested their first-ever joint A1 tournament and immediately claimed a remarkable third-place finish – a strong statement for Swiss youth and beach volleyball in the Basel region.
Beach volleyball festival in the heart of Basel
The tour stop on the Barfüsserplatz was compelling not only in sporting terms. From the first tournament day, the stands were exceptionally well-occupied. Around the center court, an exuberant summer mood prevailed throughout the weekend.
The Beach Market with its partner stands was hugely popular and became a favorite meeting point for families, sports fans, and passers-by. The participation games also provided entertainment. After the illness-related forfeits on Sunday, the audience was thrilled by, among others, a show match between the OBI-Beaver and Emmi Caffè Latte as well as various public games.
"Basel has been one of the most emotional locations of the OBI Beach Tour for years. The atmosphere on the Barfüsserplatz was once again unique. The spectators gave us goosebumps and provided the players with a great stage," says Mike Schälchli, organizer of the OBI Beach Tour.
Following the successful Basel tour stop, the OBI Beach Tour is now looking forward to upcoming events in Lucerne and the Swiss Championship in Bern.
Contact
TIT-PIT GmbH
Mike Schälchli
Managing Director
mike@eventorganisation.ch
+41 79 373 56 29
Website: http://www.obi-beach-tour.ch